Navigating a new luxury travel frontier: Explora Journeys appoints a Chief Marketing & Digital Officer

A pioneering luxury travel brand strengthens its leadership team with a visionary Chief Marketing Officer

The Challenge

Explora Journeys, part of the MSC Group, was created to redefine ocean travel for a new generation of luxury explorers. With its first ship, EXPLORA I launched to global acclaim and three in the making, the new brand needed a senior leader who could build awareness, scale digital channels, and orchestrate an integrated marketing strategy across multiple markets.

The brief was ambitious. The Chief Marketing & Digital Officer would manage a significant multi million budget, unite brand storytelling with data-driven acquisition, and build and develop a team capable of delivering ambitious growth targets. Explora’s leadership sought someone with rare balance: a strategic brand leader steeped in luxury, but equally fluent in digital performance, CRM, and e-commerce.

With it’s Geneva base and global remit, our client was looking for someone to be based at their headquarters and with the flexibility to travel as the role required.

The Approach

Princedale was retained to conduct a global proactive search where we focussed on those in Switzerland first, and then more widely internationally. The brief required us to find world class marketing & digital leaders, with fast-growth business experience gained in the wider luxury sector.

Our research mapped out 200 senior marketing leaders across Luxury fashion, watches, jewellery, cars, private jets, private membership and the wider travel and luxury hotel sector. Of these, 24 candidates were approached directly, each tested for capability, cultural alignment, and that all important growth mindset and track record in delivering growth.

The process revealed important insights. While many candidates from luxury fashion had world-class brand credentials, fewer demonstrated the depth of digital performance marketing required. Meanwhile, executives from e-commerce and consumer goods sometimes lacked the luxury nuance central to Explora’s positioning.

The Result

Within 6 weeks, a high-calibre shortlist emerged after a considerable amount of screening and filtering for the right fit. Each brought distinctive strengths, from customer acquisition at scale to luxury brand building.

• 200 leaders mapped globally
• 24 senior executives engaged
• 5 individuals shortlisted
• Search completed within 12 weeks from brief sign off.
• One star stood out.

The Perfect Fit

Alexandra Vogler was recently appointed Chief Marketing & Digital Officer.

With two decades of experience, Alex brings a unique blend of global brand and digital leadership. At Procter & Gamble, she led multi-market strategies across EMEA, mastering consumer insights and performance-driven marketing. At Vacheron Constantin, part of Richemont, she redefined digital marketing and client experience for one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious watchmakers.

Her track record in leading integrated campaigns, managing complex budgets, and elevating customer engagement positioned her as the ideal candidate. She combines data-driven decision-making with luxury storytelling — precisely the balance Explora Journeys needed to propel its next chapter.

Her appointment marks a milestone for Explora: a proven leader ready to scale awareness, acquisition, and loyalty as the brand expands its fleet and reimagines luxury travel for the modern explorer.

'Working with Ru and Princedale was a seamless experience – professional, attentive and insightful throughout. Ru’s excellent network and connections proved invaluable in securing our new CMDO, and I greatly appreciated the trusted partnership we built together."
Anna Nash, President, Explora Journeys